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Short abstract

Mid-summer grassland wildfire impacts on invertebrate species

A wildfire in a grassland restoration, July 2012, provided an opportunity to study invertebrate recovery.

Project description

Fire is an effective management tool of grasslands in the American Midwest. Summer fires are infrequent and there is little information on their impact on ecosystems. Invertebrate recovery was surveyed after an accidental wildfire in a 20 ha grassland restoration.

A comparison of burned and unburned areas over two growing seasons provided information on the recovery of invertebrates post-fire. This study demonstrates that a mid-season fire can affect the abundance of economically important insects.